Mechanical match-lighter.



E. D. FITZPATRIGK. MECHANICAL MATCH LIGHTER.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 2 2, 191s.

Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS coLuMmA PLANOGRAPH COHWASHINGTON. u c.

E. D. PITZPATRIOK.

MECHANICAL MATCH LIGHTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1913.

1,089,1 99, Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

2 SHEBTSSHEET 2.

IIVVEIVTOR COLUMBIA PLANUGRAI'II canvasflmams. nic.

EDWARD DANIEL FI'IZPATRICK, 0F OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

MECHANICAL MATCH-LIGHTER.

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To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD D. Frrzrxr- RICK, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State ofNebraska, have invented a new and Improved Mechanical Match- Lighter, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Among the principal objects which the present invention has in view are:to provide a time-released mechanism to ignite a match by abrading thehead thereof; to pro vide an alarm clock with means for lighting a matchby abrasively engaging the head thereof; and to provide a clockmechanism of the character mentioned with means for holding a match inoperative position, and with means for igniting the same by abrading thehead thereof when released by said clock mechanism.

One embodiment of the present invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a pictorial view showing a clock ofconventional shape holding a match in operative position, with means forignit ing the same, and the end of a fuse or lighter to convey the flameto the remote point; Fig. 2 is a rear view of said clock, a portion ofthe back of the clock case being cut away to show the arrangement of thematchig- 'niting mechanism; Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on theline 3-3 in Fig. 2; Fig. t is a horizontal section taken on the line4-.4t in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the shape of amatch-striking disk employed by me; Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation of afragment of said clock case and gear train thereof, showing inconjunction therewith a modified form of the invention; Fig. 7 is a sideview of the same, showing the scratch plate as engaged with a match;Fig. 8 is a similar view, showing the scratchplate as disengaged fromthe match; Fig. 9 is a detail view in section, taken on the staggeredline 9-9 in Fig. 7; Fig. 10 is a sectional elevation ofa clock case anda further modified construction embodying the invention; Fig. 11 is atop view of a fragment of the construction shown in Fig. 10; Fig. 12 isa cross section of the scratch-plate and housing therefor, taken on theline 1212 in Fig. 10.

In the accompanying drawings, several forms of mechanism are shown, thefunc- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 22, 1913.

Patented Mar. 3, 1914:.

Serial No. 769,197.

tion of which is to scratch a match said mechanisms being arranged tooperate at a predetermined time. In the preferred form of mechanism,shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, a disk 20 is employed. The disk 20 isprovided with a peripheral recess 21, which recess normally registerswith, to rest above, a match 22, when set in position. The match 22 isheld in position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, by a smallloop 23. The loop is formed by partly severing a section of, andpressing the same outward from, the back 2 1 of a clock case 25. Theunder surface of the disk 20 is roughened to provide an abrasivesurface. The disk 20 may be constructed of any suitable material, suchas a rasp-faced metal disk, but 1 prefer to employ a sand-paper disk.The disk 20 is held rigidly on a vertical arbor 26, being clampedthereto by a screw nut 27, the threads whereof register with threads onan extension 28. The arbor 26 is mounted in bearings formed in the case25, and in a bracket 29 in the structural frame of a clock gear trainhaving an alarm mechanism of conventional form and construction. A wheel15 and a pin 17 are arranged to permit a spring latch 30 to release thearbor 26. The latch 30 is suitably mounted on the frame of the clockgear train, to normally engage the teeth of a spur wheel 31. The wheel81 is loosely mounted on the arbor 26. Fixedly mounted on the arbor 26is a small ratchet wheel 32. A pawl 33 is pivotally mounted on the wheel81, the tooth whereof engages the teeth on the ratchet wheel 82 as thesame is turned when the arbor 26 is rotated to wind a spring 8 1. Thepawl 33 is held in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet Wheel 32 bymeans of a wire spring 35. The arbor 26 is rotated by means of thespiral spring 341-, one end whereof is connected with said arbor, whilethe other end is fastened to a convenient part of the frame of the clockgear train. The wheel 31 is released when the wheel -15 is rotated bythe gear train of the clock with which it is engaged. to a positionwhere the pin 4:7 falls into the nick or opening 16 in the hub of saidwheel. The wheel 415 is loosely mounted on the shaft 18 to slidethereon. The spring latch 30 presses said wheel 45 outward. said springpressing upon. the bearing ring 41 1. The shaft 18 and pin 17 thereonare stationary.

The operation is as follows :The arbor 26 is manually rotated by meansof a handle 36 to wind the spring 34 on said arbor. The winding iscontinued until the recess 21 of the disk 20 registers with the opening37 in the rim of the clock frame and above the loop 23. The match 22 isnow inserted in the loop 23, to extend upward through the opening 37.Said match is then adjusted to present the head thereof to be acted onby the disk 20. The alarm mechanism having been set, the clock is thendisposed in convenient position adjacent a fuse or wick 38. The fuse orwick 38 is extended from and disposed in the kindling. The invention isused primarily in conjunction with what may be termed domestic fires,which fires are, as a rule, laid at night, for lighting in the morning.The clock bearing the match 22, disk 20' and. parts connected therewithhaving been placed so that the match, when struck, will ignite the wick38, the mechanism thereafter and at the predetermined time, moves thelatch 30 from engagement with the wheel 31, permitting the spring 34 torapidly rotate one complete revolution of the disk 20. The abradingsurface of the disk being moved thus rapidly over the sensitive head ofthe match, operates to ignite or flash the same. The flame from thematch thereafter mounts upward through the recess 21 in the disk 20 andignites the wick 38. The flame follows the wick 38 into the midst of thekindling of the tire, to ignite the same, thereby starting the firewithout manual handling thereof.

The modified form of the invention shown in Figs. 6 to 9 inclusiveemploys in place of the disk 20 a curved, elongated, metal scratch plate39. The plate 39 is mounted on an arm 40, which is pivoted by means of apin 41 on the frame of the clock gear train. The arm 40 continues beyondthe pin 41, and is bent to assume a horizontal position when the plate39 is moved forward over the match 22, see Figs. 6 and 7 of thedrawings. The lower and short end of the arm 40 is normally held by atrigger 42. The trigger 42 is provided with a. short arm 43, whichnormally bears against a bearing ring 44 on the wheel 45. The trigger 42is pivoted and held in normal position by a flat spring 59. The wheel 45is normally connected with the clock gear train to be moved thereby atan ascertained ratio. The hub of the wheel 45 is cut away to form anopening 46 to register with a pin 47. The pin 47 is set up from astationary shaft 48 extending between the sides of the clock gear trainmounting frame. Interposed between said frame and the wheel 45 is thespring latch 30. hen the wheel is moved outward by the spring 30 aspring 50 trips the trigger. The spring 50 draws backward the plate 39from the position shown in Fig. 7 to the position shown in Fig. 8,igniting the head of the match 22. By passing beyond the match, the saidplate permits the flame of said match to mount upward to ignite the wick38. To set the match 22 and plate 39, when employing the modifiedconstruction, the match 22 is first adjusted in the loop 23, anddepressed therein out of contact with the plate 39 when the same ismoved into the said position, as seen in Fig. 7 of the drawings. lVhenthe plate 39 is thus moved, the wheel 45 is pressed inward against theshort arm 43 of the trigger 42, and against the spring 30, flatteningthe same, to permit the hub of the wheel to pass inside of the pin 47.In this last position, the teeth of the wheel 45 will register with andengage the teeth of one of the wheels of the clock gear train. hen nowpermitted, the spring 30 presses outward on the wheel 45 to hold the hubthereof against the side of the pin 47. The match 22 is then lifteduntil the head of said match presses firmly against the roughened undersite of the plate 39. The clock is then placed in position where theflame mounting from the match 22 will ignite the wick 38.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figs. 10 to 12 inclusive,the match 22 is held in a tube 51, and rests therein, at the lower endthereof, upon a short hook 52 formed by overturning the end of a wireslide 53. The slide 53 is mounted in guide eyelets 54 on the side of thetube 51. The tube 51 is rigidly mounted on a tubular hearing 55, whichis pivotally mounted on a shaft 56, on which it is rotated by a wrappedspring 57. The ends of the spring 57 are suitably anchored, one endbeing turned be hind the tube 51, and the other end engaging a portionof the frame of the clock gear train. The tubular bearing 55 is providedwith a notched disk 58, with the notch of which the end of the latchspring 30 normally engages, to hold the tubular bearing 55 and the tube51 in the alert position shown in Figs. 10 and 11. The spring 30 is heldin the notch of the disk 58 by the wheel 45. By means of the modifiedform of the invention now being described, the match is drawn across thespring striker plate 60. The plate 60 is provided with sides 61, whichform a housing or runway for the match and the tube 51 holding the same.At the end of the operation of striking the match 22, or of the rotationof the bearing 55, the match is disposed as shown by broken lines inFig. 10 of the drawings.

Vhen setting the lighter constructed in accordance with thelast-described modification, the match is placed in the tube 51 when thesame is in the position shown by the broken lines in Fig. 10. The slide53 is depressed or moved toward the bearing 55. The match 22 ispermitted to enter deeply into the tube 51 to prevent cont-act betweenthe roughened surface of the plate 60 and the sensitive end of thematch. The tube 51 is then pressed inward under the plate 60,

until the nick in the disk 58 is brought in register with the end of thespring 30. This permits the engagement of said spring and nick bypressing the wheel 45 back against said spring, said wheel being rotatedto carry the pin 47 out of the opening 46. This locks the tube 51 in thealert position shown in full lines in Fig. 10. Prior to locking the tube51, the slide 53 is lifted until the head of the match is pressedagainst the under side of the plate 60 at the rear end thereof. When nowthe spring 57 is permitted, it draws rapidly forward the tube 51 and thematch 22 carried therein, to the position shown in broken lines in Fig.10, in doing which, the match is struck, and the flame mountingtherefrom ignites the wick 38 in the yoke 66.

Each block is provided with a bent arm 62, having a fastening portion 63and a yoke 64. The yoke 64: is provided to hold the fuse or wick 38. Inthe forms where the housings 65 are provided, a short yoke 66 isemployed to hold the fuse or wick 38, as shown in the drawings.

Claim:

In combination, a clock having a frame provided with an annular flangeslotted to permit the insertion of a match, and a loop disposed inalinement with said slot, said loop being integrally connected with theback of said frame; a rotary member operatively mounted partially withinsaid frame; an abrasive member mounted on said rotary member to extendabove said slot and loop to abrade a match when held in said loop; aspring motor device for rotating said rotary member, said device beingmounted on said member, within said frame; a latch to hold said memberagainst rotation by said device; and means operatively connected withthe mechanism of said clock, for releasing said latch.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD DANIEL FITZPATRICK. lVitnesses:

GEORGE S. POWELL, ROY Y. HOBSON.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

